to |
1. part. A particle used for marking the following verb as an infinitive. | |
I want to leave. | |
He asked me what to do. | |
I don’t know how to say it. | |
I have places to go and people to see. | |
2. part. As above, with the verb implied. | |
"Did you visit the museum?" "I wanted to, but it was closed.". | |
If he hasn't read it yet, he ought to. | |
3. part. A particle used to create phrasal verbs. | |
I have to do laundry today. | |
4. prep. Indicating destination: In the direction of, and arriving at. | |
We are walking to the shop. | |
5. prep. Used to indicate purpose. | |
He devoted himself to education. | |
They drank to his health. | |
6. prep. Used to indicate result of action. | |
His face was beaten to a pulp. | |
7. prep. Used after an adjective to indicate its application. | |
similar to ..., relevant to ..., pertinent to ..., I was nice to him, he was cruel to her, I am used to walking. | |
8. prep. (obsolete,) As a. | |
With God to friend (with God as a friend); with The Devil to fiend (with the Devil as a foe); lambs slaughtered to lake (lambs slaughtered as a sacrifice); t | |
9. prep. (arithmetic) Used to indicate a ratio or comparison. | |
one to one = 1:1 | |
ten to one = 10:1. | |
I have ten dollars to your four. | |
10. prep. (arithmetic) Used to indicate that the preceding term is to be raised to the power of the following value; indicates exponentiation. | |
Three squared or three to the second power is nine. | |
Three to the power of two is nine. | |
Three to the second is nine. | |
11. prep. Used to indicate the indirect object. | |
I gave the book to him. | |
12. prep. (time) Preceding. | |
ten to ten = 9:50; We're going to leave at ten to (the hour). | |
13. prep. Used to describe what something consists of or contains. | |
Anyone could do this job; there's nothing to it. | |
There's a lot of sense to what he says. | |
14. prep. (Canada, UK, Newfoundland, West Midlands) At. | |
Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y. | |
15. adv. Toward a closed, touching or engaging position. | |
Please push the door to. | |
16. adv. (nautical) Into the wind. | |
17. adv. misspelling of too | |
place |
1. n. (physical) An area; somewhere within an area. | |
2. n. An open space, particularly a city square, market square, or courtyard. | |
3. n. A group of houses. | |
They live at Westminster Place. | |
4. n. An inhabited area: a village, town, or city. | |
5. n. Any area of the earth: a region. | |
He is going back to his native place on vacation. | |
6. n. The area one occupies, particularly somewhere to sit. | |
We asked the restaurant to give us a table with three places. | |
7. n. The area where one lives: one's home, formerly(chiefly) country estates and farms. | |
Do you want to come over to my place later? | |
8. n. An area of the skin. | |
9. n. (euphemism) An area to urinate and defecate: an outhouse or lavatory. | |
10. n. (obsolete) An area to fight: a battlefield or the contested ground in a battle. | |
11. n. A location or position in space. | |
12. n. A particular location in a book or document, particularly the current location of a reader. | |
13. n. (obsolete) A passage or extract from a book or document. | |
14. n. (obsolete) A topic. | |
15. n. A frame of mind. | |
I'm in a strange place at the moment. | |
16. n. (chess) A chess position; a square of the chessboard. | |
17. n. (social) A responsibility or position in an organization. | |
18. n. A role or purpose; a station. | |
It is really not my place to say what is right and wrong in this case. | |
19. n. The position of a contestant in a competition. | |
We thought we would win but only ended up in fourth place. | |
20. n. (horse-racing) The position of first, second, or third at the finish, especially the second position. | |
to win a bet on a horse for place | |
21. n. The position as a member of a sports team. | |
He lost his place in the national team. | |
22. n. (obsolete) A fortified position: a fortress, citadel, or walled town. | |
23. n. Numerically, the column counting a certain quantity. | |
three decimal places; the hundreds place | |
24. n. Ordinal relation; position in the order of proceeding. | |
That's what I said in the first place! | |
25. n. Reception; effect; implying the making room for. | |
26. v. To put (an object or person) in a specific location. | |
He placed the glass on the table. | |
27. v. (intransitive) To earn a given spot in a competition. | |
The Cowboys placed third in the league. | |
28. v. (intransitive, racing) To finish second, especially of horses or dogs. | |
In the third race: Aces Up won, paying eight dollars; Blarney Stone placed, paying three dollars; and Cinnamon showed, paying five dollars. | |
29. v. To remember where and when (an object or person) has been previously encountered. | |
I've seen him before, but I can't quite place where. | |
30. v. (transitive, in the passive) To achieve (a certain position, often followed by an ordinal) as in a horse race. | |
Run Ragged was placed fourth in the race. | |
31. v. To sing (a note) with the correct pitch. | |
32. v. To arrange for or to make (a bet). | |
I placed ten dollars on the Lakers beating the Bulls. | |
33. v. To recruit or match an appropriate person for a job. | |
They phoned hoping to place her in the management team. | |
34. v. (sports) To place-kick (a goal). | |
inside |
1. n. The interior or inner or lesser part. | |
The inside of the building has been extensively restored. | |
2. n. The side of a curved road, racetrack etc. that has the shorter arc length; the side of a racetrack nearer the interior of the course or some other point of reference. | |
The car in front drifted wide on the bend, so I darted up the inside to take the lead. | |
3. n. (colloquial) (in the plural) The interior organs of the body, especially the guts. | |
Eating that stuff will damage your insides. | |
4. n. (dated, UK, colloquial) A passenger within a coach or carriage, as distinguished from one upon the outside. | |
5. prep. Within the interior of something, closest to the center or to a specific point of reference. | |
He placed the letter inside the envelope. | |
6. prep. Within a period of time. | |
7. adv. Within or towards the interior of something, especially a building. | |
It started raining, so I went inside. | |
8. adv. Intimately, secretly. (feeling or thinking without expressing it) | |
Are you laughing at us inside? | |
9. adv. (colloquial) In prison. | |
He's inside, doing a stretch for burglary. | |
10. adj. Originating from or arranged by someone inside an organisation. | |
The reporter had received inside information about the forthcoming takeover. | |
The robbery was planned by the security guard: it was an inside job. | |
They wanted to know the inside story behind the celebrity's fall from grace. | |
11. adj. (baseball) A pitch that is toward the batter as it crosses home plate. | |
The first pitch is ... just a bit inside. | |
12. adj. Nearer to the interior of a running track, horse racing course etc. | |
Because of the tighter bend, it's harder to run in an inside lane. | |
of |
1. prep. Expressing distance or motion. | |
2. prep. (now obsolete, or dialectal) From (of distance, direction), "off". | |
3. prep. (obsolete except in phrases) Since, from (a given time, earlier state etc.). | |
4. prep. From, away from (a position, number, distance etc.). | |
There are no shops within twenty miles of the cottage. | |
5. prep. (North America, Scotland, Ireland) Before (the hour); to. | |
What's the time? / Nearly a quarter of three. | |
6. prep. Expressing separation. | |
7. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with the action indicated by a transitive verb and the quality or substance by a grammatical object.) | |
Finally she was relieved of the burden of caring for her sick husband. | |
8. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with resulting state indicated by an adjective.) | |
He seemed devoid of human feelings. | |
9. prep. (obsolete) (Indicating removal, absence or separation, construed with an intransitive verb.) | |
10. prep. Expressing origin. | |
11. prep. (Indicating an ancestral source or origin of descent.) | |
The word is believed to be of Japanese origin. | |
12. prep. (Indicating a (non-physical) source of action or emotion; introducing a cause, instigation); from, out of, as an expression of. | |
The invention was born of necessity. | |
13. prep. (following an intransitive verb) (Indicates the source or cause of the verb.) | |
It is said that she died of a broken heart. | |
14. prep. (following an adjective) (Indicates the subject or cause of the adjective.) | |
I am tired of all this nonsense. | |
15. prep. Expressing agency. | |
16. prep. (following a passive verb) (Indicates the agent (for most verbs, now usually expressed with by).) | |
I am not particularly enamoured of this idea. | |
17. prep. (Used to introduce the "subjective genitive"; following a noun to form the head of a postmodifying noun phrase) (see also 'Possession' senses below). | |
The contract can be terminated at any time with the agreement of both parties. | |
18. prep. (following an adjective) (Used to indicate the agent of something described by the adjective.) | |
It was very brave of you to speak out like that. | |
19. prep. Expressing composition, substance. | |
20. prep. (after a verb expressing construction, making etc.) (Used to indicate the material or substance used.) | |
Many 'corks' are now actually made of plastic. | |
21. prep. (directly following a noun) (Used to indicate the material of the just-mentioned object.) | |
She wore a dress of silk. | |
22. prep. (Indicating the composition of a given collective or quantitative noun.) | |
What a lot of nonsense! | |
23. prep. (Used to link a given class of things with a specific example of that class.) | |
Welcome to the historic town of Harwich. | |
24. prep. (Links two nouns in near-apposition, with the first qualifying the second); "which is also". | |
I'm not driving this wreck of a car. | |
25. prep. Introducing subject matter. | |
26. prep. (Links an intransitive verb, or a transitive verb and its subject (especially verbs to do with thinking, feeling, expressing etc.), with its subject-ma | |
I'm always thinking of you. | |
27. prep. (following a noun (now chiefly nouns of knowledge, communication etc.)) (Introduces its subject matter); about, concerning. | |
He told us the story of his journey to India. | |
28. prep. (following an adjective) (Introduces its subject matter.) | |
This behaviour is typical of teenagers. | |
29. prep. Having partitive effect. | |
30. prep. (following a number or other quantitive word) (Introduces the whole for which is indicated only the specified part or segment); "from among". | |
Most of these apples are rotten. | |
31. prep. (following a noun) (Indicates a given part.) | |
32. prep. (now archaic, literary, with preceding partitive word assumed, or as a predicate after to be) Some, an amount of, one of. | |
On the whole, they seem to be of the decent sort. | |
33. prep. (Links to a genitive noun or possessive pronoun, with partitive effect (though now often merged with possessive senses, below).) | |
He is a friend of mine. | |
34. prep. Expressing possession. | |
35. prep. Belonging to, existing in, or taking place in a given location, place or time. Compare "origin" senses, above. | |
He was perhaps the most famous scientist of the twentieth century. | |
36. prep. Belonging to (a place) through having title, ownership or control over it. | |
The owner of the nightclub was arrested. | |
37. prep. Belonging to (someone or something) as something they possess or have as a characteristic; (the "possessive genitive". (With abstract nouns, this inter | |
Keep the handle of the saucepan away from the flames. | |
38. prep. Forming the "objective genitive". | |
39. prep. (Follows an agent noun, verbal noun or noun of action.) | |
She had a profound distrust of the police. | |
40. prep. Expressing qualities or characteristics. | |
41. prep. (now archaic, or literary) (Links an adjective with a noun or noun phrase to form a quasi-adverbial qualifier); in respect to, as regards. | |
My companion seemed affable and easy of manner. | |
42. prep. (Indicates a quality or characteristic); "characterized by". | |
Pooh was said to be a bear of very little brain. | |
43. prep. (Indicates quantity, age, price, etc.) | |
We have been paying interest at a rate of 10%. | |
44. prep. (US, informal considered incorrect by some) (Used to link singular indefinite nouns (preceded by the indefinite article) and attributive adjectives mod | |
It's not that big of a deal. | |
45. prep. Expressing a point in time. | |
46. prep. (chiefly regional) During the course of (a set period of time, day of the week etc.), now specifically with implied repetition or regularity. | |
Of an evening, we would often go for a stroll along the river. | |
47. prep. (UK dialectal, chiefly in negative constructions) For (a given length of time). | |
I've not tekken her out of a goodly long while. | |
48. prep. (after a noun) (Indicates duration of a state, activity etc.) | |
After a delay of three hours, the plane finally took off. | |
a |
1. art. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group. | |
There was a man here looking for you yesterday. | |
2. art. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word. | |
I've seen it happen a hundred times. | |
3. art. One certain or particular; any single.Brown, Lesley, (2003) | |
We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London. | |
4. art. The same; one. | |
We are of a mind on matters of morals. | |
5. art. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.Lindberg, Christine A. (2007) | |
A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties. | |
He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head? | |
6. art. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc. | |
7. art. Someone or something like; similar to; Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it. | |
The center of the village was becoming a Times Square. | |
8. prep. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. | |
Stand a tiptoe. | |
9. prep. To do with separation; In, into. | |
Torn a pieces. | |
10. prep. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. | |
I brush my teeth twice a day. | |
11. prep. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. | |
12. prep. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. | |
A God’s name. | |
13. prep. To do with status; In. | |
King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18) | |
To set the people a worke. | |
14. prep. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. | |
1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’ | |
The times, they are a-changin'. | |
15. prep. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. | |
1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21 | |
Jacob, when he was a dying | |
16. prep. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. | |
17. v. (archaic, or slang) Have. | |
I'd a come, if you'd a asked. | |
18. pron. (obsolete, outside, England, and Scotland dialects) He. | |
19. interj. A meaningless syllable; ah. | |
20. prep. (archaic, slang) Of. | |
The name of John a Gaunt. | |
21. adv. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
22. adj. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
corral |
1. n. An enclosure for livestock, especially a circular one. | |
We had a small corral out back where we kept our pet llama. | |
2. n. An enclosure or area to concentrate a dispersed group. | |
Please return the shopping carts to the corral. | |
3. n. A circle of wagons, either for the purpose of trapping livestock, or for defense. | |
The wagon train formed a corral to protect against Comanche attacks. | |
4. v. To capture or round up. | |
The lawyer frantically tried to corral his notes as his briefcase fell open. | |
Between us, we managed to corral the puppy in the kitchen. | |
5. v. To place inside of a corral. | |
After we corralled the last steer, we headed off to the chuck wagon for dinner. | |
6. v. To make a circle of vehicles, as of wagons so as to form a corral. | |
The cattle drivers corralled their wagons for the night. | |